8/24/2017 Tangier Sound Fishing Report Update:
Sea Hawk Sports Center reports speckled trout fishing has dropped off a bit lately in the Sound, however it isn’t impossible to have a good day of fishing. Anglers catching the specks have been throwing peeler crabs into marshy shallows, and topwater during early morning hours. In addition to speckled trout, rockfish have been in the Sound and have been taking top water lures intended for the specks. There are also good numbers of stripers in the deeper water along edges and drops. Anglers targeting them are mostly either jigging soft plastics, or live-lining.
Redfish remain sparse and a rather difficult species to target in specific, but there are enough around to make things exciting now and again. Same goes for flounder and also the occasional cobia. Bottom fishing remains steady, and spot, kingfish, and croaker are in the Sound as well. Dropping a bottom rig with some bloodworm has been working the best for most anglers.
Crabbing in the Sound has been excellent.
8/18/2017 Tangier Sound Fishing Report Update:
Sea Hawk Sports Center reports fair numbers of speckled trout are still in the Sound, and are close to shore around structure such as stumps and grass. Fishing has remained generally the same in the past few weeks, and what Guide Chris Karwacki told us back in late July is still holding true. Larger striped bass have been found in the Sound including some up on the banks of the islands, however they’re typically closer to channel ledges, where they can be caught in 20 to 25 feet of water. Of more interest is a slight influx of red drum in the past week, a species which had been disappointing up until the past week. While their numbers aren't huge, they're a much-appreciated addition to the catch.
Bottom fishermen are still working on a mix of spot, croaker, and an occasional flounder and kingfish, though kingfish numbers have dropped off. Some puffers seem to have moved in to take their place, however - remember that these odd-looking fish are actually pretty good eating, if you get a big one, but they have small mouths so using spot-sized hooks is a must if you want to encounter them. Bloodworms remain the top bottom fishing bait, although peeler crab and cut squid is also producing fish.
Trollers in the Sound's open waters are also reporting a few blues and mackerel. Clark and Drone spoons are proving effective on both.
8/11/2017 Tangier Sound Fishing Report Update:
The speckled trout bite on the incoming tide has been good this past week. Last week we spoke to guide Chris Karwacki, who suggested fishing in five to six feet of water with a moderate current, typically around 100 feet from shore. He also suggested that fish gather around structure such as stumps of grass, which could produce good numbers of fish. Conditions remain the same with the water cooling just a hair, and these tactics are still proving effective on the specks. On top of that, some slightly larger stripers have been showing up in the shallows, with fish up to 25" reported. That's a nice step up from most of this summer, since the vast majority of the stripers in the shallows of the Sound have been sub-legal. Those targeting striped bass in specific, however, have been having better luck chumming drop-offs and edges in the 20 to 25 foot depth ranges. Snapper blues do make it difficult at times but a larger proportion of the stripers are legal-sized, in the deeper waters.
Sea Hawk Sports Center reports that kingfish have also been abundant in the Tangier. Anglers have been fishing for them with cut bait and bloodworms, and spot and croaker have been mixed in with the catch.
Anglers have also been catching puppy drum in increasing numbers, however, the reds have been disappointing overall this season. The same can be said of flounder fishing in the Sound, which remains existent but relatively slow.
8/3/2017 Tangier Sound Fishing Report:
Guide Chris Karwacki reports that the speckled trout bite in the Tangier Sound has been good this season, especially on the incoming tide. He suggests fishing water five to six feet deep with a moderate current, which typically means fishing about 100 feet from shore. He also suggests finding structure such as stumps or grass, where fish might gather.
Sea Hawk Sports Center suggested bottom fishing for kingfish and spot using small cut bait and bloodworms. Croaker are also in the mix, but not in as many numbers. Flounder are around too, but overall, in disappointing numbers. Rockfish have also been in the Sound, and Karwacki reports having caught decent fish up to 25 inches this past week along the sod banks. He suggests looking for busting baitfish and a strong current to locate where rockfish may be. In addition, some puppy drum have been caught in the Sound on cut clam.